Venus
by becauseiamlily13
Summary: If you're brave enough, you'll play...A combination of Truth or Dare and Spin the Bottle  with a twist . Lust, fun, heartbreak, and maybe even love. Set in a Voldemort-free AU. A mix of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and...Slytherins? M  or NC-17  for a reason!
1. Prologue: Something Had to be Done

**Full Summary:**

Venus...

If you're brave enough, you'll play...A combination of Truth or Dare and Spin the Bottle (with a twist). A unique game designed for lust, fun, heartbreak and maybe even love. Set in a seventh-year, Voldemort-free AU. The usual gang of Gryffindors and Weasleys (with their friends), plus Ravenclaws and...Slytherins? M (or NC-17) for a reason!

**Rating: **M/NC-17

(language, references to alcohol, explicit sexual content (later))

**Main Characters (in no particular order):**

Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood, Fred Weasley, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnegan, Harry Potter, Lee Jordan, Astoria Greengrass, Susan Bones, Alicia Spinnet, Ginny Weasley, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Michael Corner

**Note:** I know the prologue's short and rather disjointed. I'll try for longer chapters and once-a-week-updates. Reviews are motivation—every author knows it!

Also, I tried to keep people in character, but I have used some of the more common and fun stereotypes (like the one about Malfoy being a manwhore...it fits into the story-I needed it), but I tried not to go overboard.

For this story, the regular gang is 17-18.

Also, chapters are titled by songs...if you know the song, tell me in your review!

**Prologue**

**Something Had to be Done**

What's a girl to do when she witnesses the love of her life getting a blowjob from another girl? Hermione Granger pondered that exact question as she tiptoed away from Ron Weasley's moaning and Lavender's mouth making the most disgusting sucking noises. She needn't have bothered with the tiptoeing. They probably wouldn't have noticed if she'd shouted and stomped.

She wanted to claw her eyes out, or wash her brain with bleach. There were some things a seventeen-year-old just couldn't handle, and this was one of them. Did they have to be in such a public place? Sure, it was the Prefects Bathroom, so there were only a limited amount of people who could walk in, but still!

It wasn't as if Ron Weasley made his relationship a private thing, but usually he refrained from doing anything dirtier than serious tonsil-hockey when there were others around.

Hermione's tiptoeing soon turned into running as she tried to get as far away as possible from the terrible memory.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to do something. Anything.

**-XOXOXO-**

Why couldn't Harry stop those wandering eyes of his? But she was beautiful...so beautiful. She was free and didn't care what people thought of her, and was just so damn sexy that he couldn't stop staring.

He hated himself for allowing her to slip through his fingers. If only he'd told her how much he cared about her when he'd had the chance. Maybe then it would be Harry making her laugh, not her friends. She was avoiding him-had been since practically the end of fifth year, when she had seen Harry and Cho snogging in the Charms corridor. She'd never looked at him quite the same again. Ginny Weasley seemed to have overcome her childhood crush, much to the disappointment of Harry, who had just started loving her back.

He had to do something. Something daring, dramatic…something that would change her mind.

**-XOXOXO-**

"Second girl this since school started, d'ya reckon?"

"Third. Pansy for sure, that sixth year Slytherin, what's her name? I dunno. And Parvati."

"Merlin, I hate him. The stupid slag." Dean and Seamus glared at the retreating figure of Draco Malfoy. It would never have bothered Dean if it hadn't bothered Seamus, and it would never have bothered Seamus if it hadn't been Parvati. But of course, she had to go for the _bad boy_, the Slytherin, the one with the reputation for knowing how to please a girl. It had been two months, and he was still steaming mad. Seamus wished he could dismiss it. But Parvati was the only one who could keep him smiling, who was kind enough to care about anyone and who was beautiful enough that he didn't need _BeWitched _(or the muggle equivalent, _Playboy_) to help him out.

Seamus wanted her for more than just her looks. And he had to make some kind of move, before it was too late.

**-XOXOXO-**

He didn't care what they said about her. They called her crazy. Loony Luna Lovegood. But Dean loved her all the same-at least, he thought it was love. If love meant that he wanted to run his hands trough her silvery blonde hair, to stare into her wide, beautiful eyes every day, to want to know everything about Wrackspurts just because they were a part if who she was...if it wasn't love, it was the closest he'd ever come to it. But he couldn't seem to ask her. She was too damn unpredictable. Gryffindor that he was, Dean was terrified of rejection from the one woman he loved. Usually, he loved that characteristic of Luna, but at the moment it seemed to him more of a curse than a blessing.

Still, he had to do _something. _Anything.

**-XOXOXO-**

"Wonniekins is disgracing the family more every day he stays with that idiot, Lavender Brown,"

"Couldn't agree more. Poor Hermione. For once, she doesn't have neatly organized answers to her problems."

"There are no neatly organized answers to these problems...Except to dump that bimbo."

Fred and George Weasley murmured to each other as they watched a blushing Lavender Brown hurry to their counter, her arms full of blinding pink WoderWitch products.

"It's too bad these products are available to the public. I hope Wonnie knows to buy our love-free antidote to these."

"I'll give him some as an early Christmas present...tomorrow."

Their conversation was interrupted by Lavender's shrill squealing.

"I'll take these!" George shook his head fractionally at his twin, who rolled his eyes slightly. They knew each other well enough that these simple gestures were the equivalent of a full conversation. Their conclusion?

Something had to be done.

**-XOXOXO-**

Pansy wiped her eyes carefully, then reapplied concealer to cover the blotchiness of her normally pale, even complexion. She was a Slytherin, and Slytherins didn't cry. It was a sign of weakness in the fiercest house. The dark-haired girl was proud to be a Slytherin. They weren't idiots, like Hufflepuffs, brawny idealists like Gryffindors, or know-it-all's like Ravenclaws. They used their brains and they took advantage of weaknesses. At the same time, they supported each other within their own house, providing a tough and united front.

Messing with one Slytherin meant messing with the whole house.

Still, it was just asking for trouble to be showing off that you'd had a good cry in the girl's loo when you heard yet another rumour about your on-again-off-again boyfriend and some other girl. People thought Pansy was clingy and obsessed with Draco Malfoy. That had been true in previous years. She'd adored him with a kind of naive admiration, but by the middle of their sixth year, the couple had become shaky at best. Malfoy had started to experiment with other girls, and Pansy had pretended to not know. Because she had loved him. He was witty and handsome and just so damn cool...still, it was nothing new to the school that Draco was sleeping around. It was just complicated. But Pansy had never had a better shag than Malfoy, and she had never lost all of her childhood crush. Truth be told, she thought she might even still love him. And that was why she was crying in the girl's loo.

Something really had to be done.

**-XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO-**

**A/N: **Hope it piqued your interest! Pansy was really hard. I wanted to keep her in cannon while not making her a complete jerk/sappy-obsessive-violent girlfriend. Yeah...

Tell me what you think of my character portrayal, the idea, the pairings…anything! I welcome constructive criticism, but I ask that you keep in mind the fact that this is my first published story.


	2. Chapter 1: Love Game

**Chapter 1:**

**Are you in the Game?**

**"Let's play a love game, play a love game. If you want love, or you want fame. Are you in the game?"**

The paper was folded up so tightly that it was barely noticeable in the shadows of the Hogwarts hallways, where it zoomed towards it's intended targets-Ron, Lavender, Harry, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Luna, Ginny, and Parvati (Neville was happily dating Hannah Abbott, and they were so content that they probably wouldn't participate anyways). The notes were left open ended-people could invite others as they wished.

The parchment itself read:

_Venus..._

_If you're brave enough, you'll play. It's a simple game, but it deals with some of the more complicated aspects of life-love and lust. A combination of Truth or Dare and Spin the Bottle (with a twist), this particular game-christened 'Venus'-will allow you to revel in your most secret fantasies while potentially giving you the opportunity to find love. A unique game designed for lust, fun, heartbreak and maybe even love. It take guts...do you have them? Remember, it's a competition—with a winner and a prize. If you're willing to play, meet in the Room of Requirement this Saturday at 8:00 PM. Bring/invite/challenge anyone to play. Have fun!_

It was anonymous, and written with one of the twins' new inventions (for students with abysmal handwriting)-the typewriter quill, which made a student's writing uniform and neat-to prevent the sender's handwriting from being recognized. Other copies were being sent to Fred and George, as well as a few others.

It was reckless and crazy, and required quite a bit of luck, but it would hopefully be worth it.

**-XOXOXO-**

"Oi, Ron, what's this?" Harry asked as a small bit of parchment banged him on the elbow. A similar piece almost went up Ron's nose, and one hit Seamus rather painfully on the side of the neck. The final one bounced off of Dean's back. The four boys were finishing up/starting homework in their dormitory when they received the notes.

"Looks like quite a game," Seamus said, his eyes alight with interest.

"I'm in," Dean said after some thought. "It sounds intriguing."

"Definitely intriguing, but do you think it's okay for me? I mean, I'm kind of in a relationship. Lavender probably wouldn't be too keen on me snogging another girl..." Ron's tone was slightly regretful, but he looked hopefully at Harry, as though waiting for some kind of permission from his best friend. Harry reread the paper, his mind conjuring vivid images Ginny and him, their lips molded together, his hands in her fiery hair, her legs wrapped around his waist...

"Harry?" Ron asked finally, startling Harry out of his fantasies.

"Erm, yeah. Definitely," Harry said, not quite sure what he was agreeing to. Ron grinned.

"Now I just have to work it out with Lavender," he said, earning a snort from Seamus.

"Just ditch her. She's not even nice. And not hot enough to make up for her vile, clingy personality." Ron muttered a halfhearted protest, but it was clear that he wasn't particularly interested in finishing the argument.

**-XOXOXO-**

"Venus...Wow! I want to do it! I wonder what the prize will be. You in, Lav?" Parvati and Lavender were sprawled all over Parvati's four-poster, having just finished reading their letters. Lavender stretched lazily.

"Well...I dunno. I've got a boyfriend, and he's a good one." Parvati refrained from rolling her eyes. She didn't need another dreamy discourse about how wonderful Ron Weasley was in every way. She was happy for her friend, but how much could a girl take? Especially when said girl had no boy of her own? Malfoy was no boyfriend. He was a one-night stand. Wham, bam, thank-you-ma'am. Truth be told, she regretted it. She had been drunk from all the illicit alcohol at Gryffindor's last party (they'd beaten Ravenclaw and secured a spot in the quidditch finals). Parvati wasn't even sure what he was doing at the party, but she saw him, he saw her, and they found their way into her room. She wasn't even sure if she quite remembered what had happened. All she knew was that it had been hard and fast. He was gone before she woke up and had to deal with the killer hangover. Parvati abhorred his personality. He was so high-and-mighty. It drove her mad. She wanted a boy who would hold her just to hold her...because he thought she was beautiful, not because he wanted sex. Not that the sex wasn't fun (it definitely was), but she wanted more than that. And a guy like Draco Malfoy couldn't give her that.

"Come on...I don't want to do it by myself...please, Lav?" Lavender gave in with a giggle.

"Oh, fine. I'll have to clear it with Wonnie, though," The two girls continued with their discussion, speculating about the game, the prize, talking about boys, and even discussing classes.

Hermione Granger sat quietly on her bed. There was no question about whether she would play. It could be her only chance to break up Ron and Lavender-they would be sickeningly annoying even if Hermione wasn't in love with Ron-but she was also extremely apprehensive about the game. Was this whole thing a terrible idea? Would it just bring Ron and Lavender closer together? Doubts plagued her mind, but she was all in. She had to be.

**-XOXOXO-**

Draco Malfoy wasn't sure if she'd done it on purpose, or if she just normally spoke at that volume. The She-Weasel and the loony Ravenclaw passed by him, and the fiery red-head had raised her voice just a bit to utter the words _it's supposed to be quite a competition. The note said to challenge anyone. _They weren't words that necessarily meant anything, but it sparked the Slytherin's curiosity. A competition…involving at least two other houses. It may have been a coincidence, but the girl was gesturing with her hands and a small slip of parchment fell out of one of them and dropped to the ground. The two girls didn't _seem_ to notice, but he couldn't be sure. Quickly, so as to make sure nobody else would see, he darted in and grabbed up the parchment. As he read it, a slow smirk spread across his face. He had the skill, he was certain, and he loved a chance to beat the slimy mudbloods that Gryffindor was so proud of. He was most certainly in _this _game.

**-XOXOXO-**

"Did you get a parchment like this, too, George?" Fred asked, his eyes alight with mischief.

"Why yes I did, brother mine," The twins shared identical mischievous smirks.

"Let's call up Johnson, Jordan, Bell, and Spinnet. This sounds like exactly the kind of game that would be fun to play with that crowd." Fred nodded, duplicating the parchment four times and sending the copies with their owl to their four friends.

"Looks like those secret passages will be getting some use this weekend." George said. Fred nodded in agreement.

"I say we go and check them out. I can always use free food from the obliging house-elfs, and we have to make sure we can get to the passages in a large group without the notice of the salespeople."

"Or we could just persuade them to help out our cause…" George added. The sentence didn't need finishing. The two brothers Apparated to the space outside of Honeydukes, sauntering through the door into the sweet-smelling warmth of the candy shop. Luckily for them, the person at the counter was a woman. Fred casually inspected large, thin, raspberry-chocolate bubbles (_'light as air and twice as sweet!'_) while George persuaded the girl, who was blushing a bright pink, to be sympathetic to their cause. Within a few minutes, he looked back towards his brother with a wink. Just to be friendly, Fred bought a box of the bubbles, and the two departed the store.

"We were in luck. She's working the last shift on Saturday. She'll close the shop forty-five minutes early, at 7:15, for a Patented Daydream Charm for Two, a tin of Sizzling Cinnamints, and any WonderWitch product she wants," George explained. Fred nodded. The Sizzling Cinnamints, a new product, were incredible popular. They worked as an aphrodisiac, but with a great flavor and a fun, sizzling sensation on the tongue. With the products the girl was getting, she was obviously planning a night with her boyfriend.

"She told me the password to get the door open was _bertie's _but that alarms would go off anyways if we tried to take anything. We should be safe, though, because we're just using the passageway. She wasn't quite sure what we were doing, but I assured her nothing would be stolen, and the offer of the free products was more than enough. She confessed that she wanted to get out early that day anyways," he continued. Both boys grinned, having a good idea about what she had planned for the night.

Hopefully, their Saturday night would be just as fun.

**-XOXOXO-**

"Hey Padma, what do you think of this?" Parvati asked her sister, showing her the parchment. Padma read through it and grinned widely.

"I think it sounds like a right good time. I'll ask some of my mates to play. Are all of the seventh years in Gryffindor playing?"

"Well, I think most of us. I'm pretty sure Neville isn't, but otherwise, yeah. Ginny's doing it too. I overheard her and Luna when she was walking out of the Great Hall. She was talking kind of loudly, which is strange. She doesn't usually do that. I think Luna's going to play too." Padma looked thoughtful. Eventually, she nodded at her sister, and said "I'll go ask Terry and Susan. Maybe Anthony will play, too." Parvati left, then, and Padma went in search of her housemates.

"Susan? Take a look at this!" Padma said, her voice perhaps slightly more enthusiastic than necessary, drawing in the dark-haired, usually solemn, Ravenclaw.

"Wow…a contest. You know I can't resist those, Padma. I'll go ask Anthony…"

**-XOXOXO-**

"I'm going, even if you're not."

"No, Draco, it's not that I don't want to..." Pansy said weakly. How could she possibly explain her reluctance to Draco without sounding silly or sappy. How could she tell him that she didn't _want _him going to this game, where it would draw him further away, where there would undoubtably be more romance between him and some other girl…she couldn't tell him, so she raised her chin defiantly.

"Scared, Parkinson? Can't take the competition?" Malfoy challenged, his eyes gleaming.

"No. I'm in." Little did she know that a certain dark-haired Slytherin was listening in, wishing very much to know what was going on. Said Slytherin would soon be confronting his best friend and getting drawn in himself. He loved competition. He didn't even know what the game was, and he was already ready for winning. Beating Malfoy guaranteed you a certain fame in Slytherin, and he had long desired it, for all that Malfoy was one of his best mates.

"That makes you and me, plus others. This will be one crazy game,"

**-XOXOXOXOXOXO- **

**Sorry about the ending. I know I did two Slytherin endings in a row. I just wanted to show some of the confirmations, and to tie it in with my Lady Gaga quote. So...are you guys in? If you wish you could play, review! Thanks so much to my two reviewers! (Only two, but oh well. Hopefully I'll get more as I go along). I tried to make it clearer whose perspective it was, and I'm sorry I don't understand what 'no love for the Puff' means. I like your profile, though, and I'm probably just being a bit slow (as usual). **

**I'd also just like to clarify a little bit on the universe: Never was a Voldemort. House rivalries and blood purity prejudices still exist, but it's not quite as pronounced as in the novels. Plus, I'm taking the liberty of assuming that Malfoy has friends besides Crabbe and Goyle, and that he has, in fact, outgrown his childhood cronies in favor of slightly smarter classmates.**


	3. Chapter 2: What to Wear

Chapter 2:

What to Wear

"I'm pulling at my hair, I'm tugging at my clothes, I'm trying to keep my cool-I know it shows."

The week seemed to drag. Gryffindor and Slytherin seventh-years alike couldn't seem to focus. Friday was a welcome relief, and only Hermione bothered to begin her homework. Everyone else was just too jittery. The game had them all on edge...all of them, that was, except for Luna Lovegood. She seemed her usual unperturbed self, not bothered by the apprehensive and anticipatory atmosphere that surrounded her friends. As they buzzed about the kind of clothes they should wear, whether they should eat beforehand, what the supposed twist was, and who would be competing, Luna simply continued with her regular life. She went to a Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw quidditch game (Hufflepuff was, predictably enough, crushed 240-60) at the same time her best friend was anxiously biting a hang nail and surveying her wardrobe.

Said best friend (Ginny), couldn't decide whether to wear something dressy, like Lavender and Parvati were supposedly doing, or something casual, like she was sure Luna and Hermione would wear. She eventually settled on dressing up the muggle way. She wore a pretty little blue dress, not formal enough to be a ball gown, but far from casual. It was a bright blue that set off her eyes at the top, made of a silky material that sparkled. The bright blue faded to dark blue around the hemline, which fell a few inches short of her knees. It had been bought with birthday money from Fred and George the previous year. She curled her red hair, and decided against doing anything else to it. With earrings, a necklace, and low heels suitably finishing her outfit, she sat down to wait. Within a minute, she was back up again pacing. Only four hours left.

**-XOXOXO-**

Parvati was sure Laveder could sense her nerves. She tugged at the pink of her dress, trying to make the silk lie flat. Her dress was a pretty thing, in a shade of pale pink. The silk fell smoothly over her body down to her toes, and was accompanied by long, decorative, gold and pink necklaces and matching pink-beaded earrings in the shapes of thin golden feathers. Her black hair was straightened, and it fell all the way to the small of her back. She was radiant. She was also nervous. No matter what she told herself, she knew that she would never be able to brush this off as just some game. She wasn't sure how, but it was almost like (as Professor Trelawny was always telling them) she could see into the future. It wasn't a true vision, she knew that. All she knew was that tonight would irrevocably change her life, and the lives of those around her. Lavender walked beside her, nervous as well. Lavender had let her light brown curls alone, and chosen a strapless summer dress. It was off-white with purple-magenta flowers. The design reminded her strongly of the watercolor paintings she'd seen when she visited art museums on her holiday over the summer. That summer had been a summer of daring adventure for her. She'd flirted and laughed and been free and wild, wearing extravagant makeup one day, going for an 'all-natural' look the next. She had been experimenting with herself, finding who she was. Leaving behind her usual girly persona one week in favor of trying to be sexy, then living it up like a rocker…which hadn't worked, though she considered that particular fact beside the point. The point was that it had been fun. She'd forgotten about Ron and Hermione and finals and N.E. and just lived. The dress, she hoped, would let her take a little bit of her enthusiasm and freedom from the summer and put it into this game. Like Ginny's dress, hers terminated above the knee, leaving her smooth, lightly tanned calves and ankles exposed. Strappy silver sandals encompassed delicate feet and purple-painted toenails. She shifted those toes inside their sandals and tried to focus on Parvati. Three hours to go…

**-XOXOXO-**

Draco Malfoy was oblivious to the sixth-year who sat on the other end of the common room, watching him. He was sprawled into one of the emerald green chairs, looking bored, waiting for 8:00.

The sixth-year, Astoria, had lost her virginity to the suave seventh-year in October. Over a month had gone by since then, and he'd barely even acknowledged her. She had known it was just a one-time thing with him, but she had still harbored hopes. Sure, it was silly of her to pine after Malfoy, who was well-known for never keeping it going with a single girl, except for Pansy. Actually, a small part of Astoria pitied Pansy. What must it be like to have a boyfriend who the whole world knew was unfaithful. What words did he have to whisper into her ears when they were together to make her ignore the rumours? Thinking about Draco and his girlfriend just made her depressed, though, so she soon abandoned such thoughts.

Astoria smoothed her hands over her short black skirt, then reached up to touch the dark brown waves of hair she had left mostly down, and to play with the pearl earrings she wore more often than any other pair. It was a habit of hers-playing with clothing or hair, fidgeting-when she was nervous and had trouble keeping still. And something about Draco Malfoy made Astoria Greengrass very nervous. Maybe it was his stormy grey eyes and the way that they seemed enticing and sexy and dangerous all at once. Maybe it was his cool demeanor, which had melted into a steamy heat the night he was with her, melting her own bones into putty…maybe it was his voice, or his hair, or the way he held himself…she didn't know. All she knew was that she was dangerously attracted to the very man who had cast her aside without a second thought.

The blonde Slytherin checked his watch and stood, leaving the common room. Seized by a sudden rush of impulsiveness, Astoria followed him. There was an air of finality about the way the Slytherin common room portrait shut. It was too late to go back.

**-XOXOXO-**

Lee Jordan threw on a pair of jeans, considered, then tossed them into a growing pile of rejected clothing. Guys were less worried about their looks, maybe, but this was kind of a big deal. For Lee, anything involving Alicia was a big deal.

Khakis? No, that wasn't him.

He finally settled on a different pair of jeans, and a Puddlemore United jersey (he had to support them, Oliver was on their team).

He anxiously checked his watch. 6:48. He wandered about his empty flat, his sneakers making slight squeaking noises on the floors. He actually started to clean up. He was that restless. When the kitchen was pristine, and it was 7:03, he Floo'd himself over to the twins' Hogsmeade shop. The twins were accompanied by Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. Angelina wore a striking orange sweater-dress with a thick black belt and black boots. It suited her, emphasizing her slender-but-muscular frame, with the orange adding fun and setting off her cocoa skin. Katie wore a lacy grey racerback top and dark-wash skinny jeans, her bronze arms and shoulders bare despite the chill. It was sexy but casual, and Lee could see Fred's eyes constantly wandering to her legs and knee-high black boots. And Alicia? She sported an emerald green halter top and light blue jeans. Her heels were just high enough to put her only a few inches shorter than Lee. Her makeup was subtle, but in a fun shade of green. He could see small green stones winking from her ears and a matching necklace drew his attention to the swell of her cleavage in the shirt. He swallowed, hard. It was as very attractive shirt.

"Ready to go, then?" George asked, startling Lee out of his staring. Alicia had caught him and winked. Lee knew that the sway in her hips was purposeful as she walked in front of him, teasing him. Together, they set out for Honeydukes and the adventure of the coming night, laughing with the extra humour that secrecy and anticipation lent them.

**-XOXOXOXOXOXO-**

**Thanks so much to my third reviewer! Please, can I get a few more?**

**Give me your input, your pairing ideas, your constructive criticism…tell me who the quote at the beginning of the chapter was from…please, just anything!**


	4. Chapter 3: Unexpected Arrivals

**Chapter 3**

**Unexpected Arrivals**

_"Because when I arrive, I, I bring the fire [that] makes you come alive..."_

Lavender and Parvati were the first to arrive, followed by Ginny and Luna. Seamus, Dean, Harry, and Ron came as a group, and then Fred, George, and their friends sauntered in.

"Fred? George? What're you doing here?" Harry exclaimed.

"Lee!" cried Ron and Ginny, their mouths open in shock.

The girls received a similar response. The six were welcomed heartily, and joined the growing ranks of players. Compliments were passed around on outfits, laughter exchanged. Their arrival had kindled a spark of enthusiasm that shone in everyone, as they stood a little straighter, smiled a little wider, and their excitement surpassed their apprehension. They came alive, suddenly ready to play.

"Blimey," murmured Seamus to Dean, "I didn'a think so many people would'a shown. I wonder if Granger'll come." Dean was about to reply when the whole group (save Luna, who continued dreamily watching the tapestry of the badly dancing trolls) took a collective breath, shocked by the two approaching figures.

Harry's wand was in his hand before anyone could move, but Malfoy put his arms up in the universal sign of peace.

"We're here to play the game, Potter. Put that toy away," Pansy sneered from her position at Malfoy's elbow. Harry reluctantly slid his wand back into its place, still wary of the two Slytherins.

"Who invited you?" Seamus snapped.

"Seamus, calm down," Parvati said, putting a hand on his arm. Seamus turned beet red and stepped back slowly, glaring. Malfoy smirked.

"That's for me to know and you to...not find out," he taunted. Fred rolled his eyes.

"You little git."

Malfoy sneered at all of the players.

"Well this is pathetic. You're all Gryffindors," Just then, two more Slytherins entered the loose circle they had formed.

"There you are, Zabini. All this foul blood was mucking my sinuses. It's good to get some less sickening people around," This time, Parvati didn't bother to try to hold back Seamus-her wand was out just as quickly. It would have evolved into a full blown duel had Padma, Terry, Michael, Susan, and a sixth-year named Violet Abercrombie not intervened, stepping between the angry houses.

"Break it up, all of you. Yes, Potter, you too. We're never going to get to playing the game if you don't calm down," Terry said in exasperation.

"At least you're not Hufflepuffs," Pansy muttered, stowing her wand with a roll of her eyes. Luckily, none of the Gryffindors heard.

The Ravenclaws were dressed nicely, but not formally. Padma wore a bright blue sundress, with gold and blue jewelry. Terry was handsome in dark jeans and a blue button-down. Michael also wore a blue shirt, the color emphasizing his eyes. Susan was wearing a ruffled black skirt and an attractive magenta blouse. Violet, who had tagged along (she had it _bad _for Michael Corner), wore a turquoise silk dress covered by black lace. Her dark brown hair was brushed smooth and pinned up in an intricate bun. Their arrival, coupled with that of the Slytherin's-Gryffindor's rival house-more than sparked enthusiasm. It brought on a roaring flame of competitiveness. This was more than just a game between friends. This was now an inter-house competition, with a special glory to not only the winner, but to his or her whole house as well.

Last to arrive (for once) at only a minute to eight, Hermione hurried down the corridor. She wore muggle clothes she was comfortable in-worn, light blue jeans that hugged her hips and flared at the bottom and a pink blouse with ruffle-like short sleeves and matching pink jewelry. While not overboard, it was reasonably dressed up for Hermione. Ron thought she might even have been wearing makeup. He blushed and tried to ignore that she looked especially good. He did, after all, have a girlfriend.

Just as Hermione reached the group, the clock chimed 8:00. Anxiously, all of them started to pace back and forth three times, thinking of the game. For those less knowledgeable about the room, the process had been explained by others. Only Astoria, who stood silently, a shadow of her Slytherin housemates, remained in ignorance. Eventually, she paced like everyone else, but in a decidedly unsure way-far from her usual haughty manor.

Then a door appeared in thin air. It was time.

**-XOXOXO-**

Alicia reached for the door, the silver handle surprisingly warm under her palm. She opened it carefully, feeling the many eyes fixed on her back and the room beyond. The Room of Requirement did not disappoint. Multicoloured cushions lay on thick, comfortable plush carpeting. There was a butterbeer bottle with some sort of parchment inside it in the center of the room. No one seemed to notice the small device in the corner that looked almost like a dehumidifier. No one, that is, until Hermione.

"What's this?" she asked, drawing the attention of the group. Susan Bones suddenly looked very nervous.

"I've heard of those. My auntie Amelia says they're a new thing in the courtrooms, but very hush-hush. The Wizengamot doesn't want criminals to know about it-"

Lee sighed impatiently.

"Yes, but what is it?" he interrupted, earning a glare from the dark-haired Ravenclaw.

"It's called _V-air-itiserum_. A small, highly concentrated bottle of Veritiserum is put in, and then it's sort of...dispersed through the air..."

"Diffusion," said Hermione softly.

"How long has it been working?" Katie inquired. She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. Once again, she opened her mouth, but this time she spoke.

"I can't lie. My favorite color's aqua, not yellow like I was just going to say," she explained. The others seemed a little fearful, suddenly worried by the potential consequences. When the invitation had said Truth or Dare, nobody had expected it to be so serious.

It was Padma who finally stepped forward.

"Well, it's no use just standing here. We came to play a game, and I'm quite curious. It's better to play Truth or Dare when you can't lie, yeah? I say we get started." her voice was confident enough to pierce the bubble of nervous apprehension that had begun to form around her classmates.

"Yeah," agreed Blaise. Everyone migrated to the middle of the room, and it was Harry who reached for the bottle. Slowly, he extricated the piece of parchment from inside the bottle, unfolding it and reading it aloud.

_Dear Players..._

**-XOXOXOXOXOXO-**

**Cliffie! Yay! PLEASE review! I'm pretty desperate! I know it was short, but I didn't get a SINGLE review!**


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